Steve Bannon, former White House Chief Strategist to Donald Trump, has defended the President's efforts to deport illegal migrants in the US as he claimed claimed Trump has "completely halted" illegal border crossings since returning to office.
Speaking to GB News, Bannon asserted: "Donald Trump shut down the border in 60 days. There's no crossings."
He challenged previous assumptions about migration patterns, adding: "We were told for years this was a natural law of physics that hundreds of thousands of people had to come across every month."
Bannon cited recent media coverage as evidence of the policy's success, claiming CBS News had shown images of an empty southern border with the headline "all quiet on the southern front".
Steve Bannon fiercely defended US President Donald Trump's efforts to deport illegal migrants in America
GB News / Reuters
Bannon claimed that during President Biden's term, from January 2021 to January 2025, "10 million illegal alien invaders came across the border."
He stated that Trump has prioritised deportations by "starting with the criminal element."
Despite this focus, Bannon insisted that broader border security measures remain necessary, saying: "We still need to build the wall, but there's nobody coming into the country now."
He emphasised the contrast between current border conditions and those during the previous four years under Biden's leadership.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Donald Trump has cracked down on the number of illegal border crossings in the US, significantly reducing migration numbers
PABannon revealed that the deportation plan for the 10 million people who entered during Biden's administration would cost $170billion, according to a reconciliation bill that "still has to be passed".
He expressed outrage at this figure, questioning: "If we need $170bn to deport these people, how did that happen?"
The former strategist suggested severe consequences for those responsible, stating: "People that allowed that to happen should go to jail."
He demanded accountability, asking: "Who's held accountable for that?"
Bannon claimed Trump has been "very aggressive on the terrorists and criminal element" as part of his role as commander in chief.
This approach has faced legal challenges, with Bannon stating: "That's where the federal judge steps in and says, hey, these guys should have due process rights."
Bannon told GB News that Trump is 'commander in chief' on America's immigration crisis
GB News
According to Bannon, Trump's position is: "I'm doing this as a military necessity to get these terrorist criminals out of the country, and you're not going to stop me."
The dispute appears headed for rapid judicial review, with Bannon predicting: "We should be in the Supreme Court, I think, in the Supreme Court on the emergency docket within the next day or two."
Bannon emphasised the constitutional question at stake: "Can a federal judge step in the middle of the president performing his task as commander in chief?"
The former strategist characterised the legal challenges as coming "from the Democrats with no power."
"They have no political power," Bannon claimed, suggesting opposition to Trump's border policies was being channelled through the courts rather than through legislative means.
